It has been a long time coming, and what a great day to share my news: World Book Day.  This means I can very quietly announce my book will be published in November 2026.  I’m hoping you will buy ‘The Ultimate Lived Experience Guide to AAC: How to live audAACiously’. It is now available for pre-sale on Amazon.

Why audAACious

These days, we can find a wealth of information, guidance, and advice on any specific topic online. It’s no different when you search for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).  Yet, when I looked for guidance, it was mostly written by professionals and researchers.  There was a similar picture when I looked for relevant AAC books.  There are texts for professionals and some disability autobiographies in which authors use AAC.

AudAACious is the AAC book I wished I’d had growing up, which means it is full of practical hints, tips and hacks that support AAC users, and those who support us, to fulfil our own communication potential.

It has always been my passion to empower other AAC users. This began the day I got my first AAC device, aged 4. I wanted other children and young people to have the resources they needed to be heard, listened to, and understood.  This lifelong dream remains undiminished; the only change is that, in my teens, I realised children grow into adults.  Now my dream is for anyone with little or no speech to be empowered in life.

See my next blog as to why I chose to write about being audAACious and what this means to me.

How the book came about

I wrote my life story at the age of 10, inspired by Tracy Beaker, a fictional character living in a children’s home.  Off school sick, I was watching back-to-back televised episodes of the brilliant Jacqueline Wilson book, The Dumping Ground. When her social worker asked Tracy to write her story to come to terms with being in care, I thought great idea, I could do that to tell people how I feel being disabled.

This first story became my first presentation.  At the age of 12, in 2006, I spoke at the International Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) conference in Düsseldorf.  An amazing experience which has led to a lifetime of sharing my stories. From the very start, people have asked me for advice and my experiences on a multitude of topics. This means I’m so fortunate to have had the opportunity to talk about using AAC throughout my growing up. In the book, I’ve reflected on school, higher education, living independently, leading a team, becoming an advocate and self-advocate, and so much more.

What is in audAACious

The book is broken into 4 sections.  Everything in the book is grounded in my experiences over 3 decades, but also draws on the experiences of other AAC users.  Thank you to them all for their stories, too.

Section one is written for anyone interested in AAC, with a general introduction and a chapter on AAC assessment.

Next, section 2 is written for families and older AAC users, focusing on home, in the community, and in school, making it relevant to others supporting AAC users.

Section 3 is for every communication partner. My belief is we are all communication partners, and as AAC users, our ultimate aim must be an equal, balanced conversation.

Finally, Section 4 is around using AAC in adult life. Beginning with transitions to adulthood, owning our own equipment, developing our own identity and being able to self-advocate. As AAC users, we need to lead those around us daily in our homes, in the community, and in our workplaces.  These are skills that don’t arrive overnight when we suddenly become adults, but need careful thought and planning along the way to live independently on our own terms.

Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers

When I decided the time had come to write, I audAACiously approached Jessica Kingsley Publishers, not realising that many authors often get rejected.  The Ultimate Lived Experience Guide to AAC is not an autobiography, although I use my experiences and those of others to illustrate why, how, and what you read.

There isn’t a pretty cover yet; the photo above is something I’ve constructed. Fortunately, the marketing team at Jessica Kingsley Publishing are working on it.

P.S. The quiet approach to my announcement is in response to a friend alerting me to the availability of The Ultimate Lived Experience Guide to AAC: How to live audAACiously for pre-sale on Amazon.  As it is due out in November, pre-order it now at only £19.99 as an early Christmas present!